Boy, 15, charged in shooting outside Joliet high school

Tribune illustration

Tribune illustration

Dennis Sullivan

A 15-year-old has been charged with two counts of attempted murder in connection with Monday afternoon's shooting outside Joliet Central High School, located approximately three blocks east of the Will County Courthouse.

Joliet Police Commander Al Roechner said the teen fired four shots around 4:05 p.m. at a 20-year-old and an 18-year-old who escaped injury by ducking into a nearby underpass on the 200 block of Jefferson Street. Neither of the alleged targets attended the school, Roechner said.

The boy, taken into custody by Joliet police around midnight, is also charged with two counts of aggravated discharge of a weapon and two counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon. Roechner said the gun wasn't found.

Acknowledging the teen was a student at Central High School, Roechner said the shooting had "gang overtones" and stressed it "had nothing to do with the school."

One bullet penetrated an exterior window at the school but didn't penetrate the interior glass, Roechner said. No students were present because classes had previously let out, he said.

Roechner credited school officials with being "on top of it right away," immediately locking down the school, in keeping with prior police instructions.

Roechner said District School Superintendent Cheryl McCarthy and Principal John Randich were particularly helpful, providing investigators with video of the shooting. "Without their help, we wouldn't have been able to solve this as quickly," he said.

The boy is scheduled to appear in court Sept. 25 on the felony charges.